The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1887-07-07


VAST wilderness, resonant with the
shrek OF the panther and the
whoop Of the savage, with west
ern wall of mountains andan east
ern barrier of breakers, contained
the germ Of a gigantic lite, the life
ofthe greatest nation on which the
sun has ever risen. It was but a
meagre territory, peopled with a
few hardy and toll Drowned men,
the children of those who fed from
persecution aud sought in these
quiet, Arcadian regions, the liberty
of conscience denied them at home.
Rude and rugged though they were,
they were filled with an Unborn
longing for liberty liberty Of
thought. Of conscience and Of ac-
ton. For this they had dared the
treacherous ocean, the keen blasts
ofthe winter, the fury Of the saw
age and all the hardships attend
ing a pioneer life. But even here,
in the midst of a wild and unbrok-
en- region, the woke of oppression
bore upon them, yet it strengthen
ed within them the mighty resolu-
ton 10 be free. A day passed.
The cloud which had been gather
ing burst into rain of blood.
Thirteen colonies, poor, oppressed,
without resources with nerves OF
iron and sinews Of steel-rose in
defence Of their hreSides and
homes. The bolts OF tyranny were
leveled against Thorn, the thunders
of1Re throne smote them, yet re-
Solved. with eyes srmly fixed upon
the goal Of liberty, they hurled de-
iance in the very face of royalty
itself Thus animated by force
that feared neither danger nor
death, they set the seal Of eternal
freedom on the brow of the young
Nation. Time passed Humanity
suffering under the expressions OF
kings, beheld in this land of ours
the realization of a dream. They
saw the genius Of Liberty crowned
In garlands and heard the shouting
Ola people as they made their OF
ferings TO her Thea, setting west
ward, the tide Of immigration
poured ia upon as, the mountain
barriers of the west could not stay
its progress, into the wilderness it
penetrated. Forests tell In its
path as in the track of the whirl
wind The whoop ofthe savage
vas heard as he fed in terror be-
fore it. Resistless. powerful. it
powerful. it poured on and on.
Cities, villages and hamlets sprans
as by magic into existense. In the
solitudes where oferst the low
mlrmur Of river was alone audi
Bile. was heard the clash ola thous-
and industries They came, as
though by some magician's spell.
And the tide rolled on. over the
Blue Ridge, over the Cumberland.
over the broad Mississippi, until
is progress was checked on the
margin ofthe Pacific. Reveline IN
a gigantic adolescence, our great
Government was declared indie
structible and complete. But,
tAftt Nfl tduNcN Ut NoEk Mulcu
threatened. ike the hidden forces
OF the earthquake, to wreck the
foundations Of the Union and shat
ter the mighty structure into frag-
meats On the one hand power
grew oppressive, on the other a
free people rose in defenceof their
rights. A day passed and brought
a struggle that has no counterpart
in history The horrors ofrevo-
luton ran 10 their limits. The
story % that struggle is written 10
fire and blood upon the record Of.
the country. 1t will stand forever
a. a warning to power, that liber-
tvs right IS inviolable. Then
came the dark chaotic era, sepa-
rated by which were the two sec
tions; one blood-drenched, knee
deep in the ashes Of her poverty, f.